June 25th 2015 will be a date that lives on forever in the lives of countless teachers, students, and parents of Dallas ISD. Yesterday, Mike Miles announced his resignation as Superintendent of DISD. It feels a bit surreal to be typing this to you all. My goal when creating this petition was to amplify the voices of students in my district, including my own. We were not blind to the stresses our teachers were being forced to endure. I’ve been hesitant to declare this victory for the simple fact that the fight is not over. Teachers and administrators are still leaving, some to greater and more humane opportunities, and others retiring early altogether. Although the picture that brands this petition is one discouraging the employment of Mike Miles, the real issue was his reforms, and how they were executed. His resignation is one step in the right direction for our district, and the beginning to the end of our school district’s demise. This petition gave me a voice, and for that I will be forever grateful. As I embark on my last year as a student of Dallas ISD, I plan to keep the opinions of us students present. If this petition has taught the board one thing, it should be that student’s opinions matter, and our experiences should always be taken into consideration when decisions are being made. We’re not oblivious to what is going on around us, and our impact is key to the success of the school district. Our generation is going to change the world, and this is just a stepping stone towards our future triumphs. My senior year is sure to be full of successes and failures, but this experience has made me realize that no matter the outcome of a situation, what I make of it is what truly defines not only the challenge, but the essence of who I am. I believe Mr. Miles showed tremendous humility and maturity to resign as superintendent, and I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. His passion for the district was always obvious, and I hope to have that same kind of fulfillment in my adult life. Through this, I’ve grown closer to people that I will cherish and respect for the rest of my life. I lost several teachers and a principal this past year, but I have chosen to use their absence as a reason to keep fighting. One of the largest things I learned in the last 6 months is that education is an issue that is close to my heart, and whether I chose to run for superintendent in 20 years, or president, my community is always going to be my number one priority. As a final note, I’d like to thank every single one of you that have signed the petition. Your signature and comments often added fuel to my fire, and I truly believe that I wouldn’t be here, and I would not have learned as much as I did, without you. I’m well aware that this petition played a tiny role in the resignation of Mike Miles, but each and every signature was a reason to reevaluate the structure and well being of our district. Our voices did not go unheard, and they served as evidence to the leaders of DISD. I want to personally thank my classmates Hailee Larkins and Tramondranique Hawkins for their support, and speaking alongside me at board meetings. I’d also like to thank my courageous teachers, and former principal, for being proud of me regardless of the outcome of this petition, and the sometimes awkward spotlight it shined upon our school. Thank you again for your support. This is an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I can only hope each child is blessed with teachers like mine. All of my future success will have been greatly influenced by their daring and compassionate spirits. All the Best, Lara Andree